ON BEING REPUBLICAN ...

Terrorists ... homosexual lifestyles ... choice ... taxes ... communists ... illegal immigrants, etc. Of all the things republicans fear, perhaps their biggest fear is a government that works. After walking us through the thinking that compels people to think like a republican, Markos at Dailykos explains the importance of government incompetence (like the Bush administration's Katrina response) to the republican's electoral success.

... Because Republicans have convinced people that government can't make a difference in their lives, can't solve their intractable problems, hence the only thing that matters are divisive social issues. The demands that government be ineffective has been a planned hallmark of the Bush administration. You don't put a horse lawyer in charge of FEMA if you expect the agency to actually be effective in its mission. So as far as conservative ideology was concerned, Katrina was a resounding success.

This ineffectiveness is centerpiece in conservative self-preservation. If government becomes more effective and works for people, then it could prove devastating to conservatives.

We're then pointed to William Kristol's 1993 memo to republicans in Congress who were preparing to battle Clinton's health care proposal. In it Kristol argues that ...

... congressional Republicans should work to 'kill' — not amend — the Clinton plan because it presents a real danger to the Republican future: Its passage will give the Democrats a lock on the crucial middle-class vote and revive the reputation of the party.

More afraid of losing votes then good governance, Kristol effectively was saying that a republican majority is more important to republicans than a successful health care plan in America.

And these guys claim to put America first?

- Mark